Elastic-fluid turbine.



PATENTBD JUNE14, 1904.

J o. ST'URGEON.

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE.

APPLIOATION FILED rm. 19. 1904. no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEETL in]: NQRRISPerms co., yuoroumn, WASNXNFYON/o; 6,

No. 762,452. PATBNTED mm 14, 1904.

' .J. c. STURGEON.

BLASTIG FLUID TURBINE.

v A PPLIOATION TILED FEB. 19, 1904. 7 N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. STURGEON, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERTF. DOBLER, OF GIRARD, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELASTIC-FLUID TURBINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7621452, dated June 14,1904. Application filed February 19, 1904:- Scrial No. 194,373. (Nomodel.)

To all whmn it nuty concern.-

Be it known thatI, JOHN C. STURGEON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvemen ts in Elastic-Flu idTurbine-Engines; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

I 5 M y invention relates to elastic-fluid turbineengines, and has forits objects the combination, in an engine of this character, of a shellhaving a series of annular chambers therein closed at their rear endsand having their inner walls provided with slots or steam-jet openingstherethrough at angles to lines radiating from the axes of saidchambers, said slots or steam-jet openings having transversepartition-walls therein and being. hereinafter 5 designated as diagonalslots or steam-jet openings, and a rotatable cylinder mounted thereinconcentrically with the inner walls of said chambers and provided on itsperiphery with rows of vanes coinciding with and adja- 3 cent to theinner walls of said chambers, said chambers and vanes being so arrangedwith relation to each other that the discharge ends of the rows of vaneson the cylinder substantially coincide annularly with the inlet ends ofthe chambers in the shell, so that the steam passes from the dischargeend of each row of said vanes directly into the inlet end of the chambersucceeding thereto in substantially a direct line, so that the steam inits passage 4 through the engine from the inlet to the exhaust thereofenters the first chamber of the series, from whence it is dischargedthrough the diagonal slots or steam-jet openings in the inner wallthereof against the first row of vanes on the cylinder, from whence itpasses out of the discharge ends thereof directly into the secondchamber of the series, from whence it is in like manner again dischargedagainst the second row of vanes on the cylinder, this operacuredtherein.

tion being consecutively repeated by the steam 5 in its traverse untilit has passed successively into and out of one chamber after the otherand from the last row of cylinder-vanes to the exhaust of the engine.

Another feature of my invention consists, substantially, in extendingthe end of the cylinder at the inlet end of the engine into asteam-chest, preferablyin the end of the shell, and providing thereon adisk which operates substantially as one end of the steam-chest andreceives the steam-pressure therein, and thereby operates tocounterbalance the end thrust of the cylinder. In this steam-chest Ialso provide an annular grid-valve which operates against a grid formed,preferably, on 5 the inlet end of the inner wall of the first chamber,and the valve operating thereon serves to control the admission of steamto the first chamber.

In the construction of an elastic-fluid tur- 7 bine-engine embodyingthese and other features of my invention hereinafter described Ipreferably make the shell of the engine in sections adapted to besecured together, and I secure therein a series of removable chamberrear end and inner walls, so as to form a series of annular chambers inthe engine-shell, having their rear ends closed and their front or inletends open, each of said inner chamber-walls gradually increasing indiameter 30 from the inlet end to the rear end of the chamber and havingtherein diagonal slots or steam-jet openings provided with 'transversewalls therein forming partitions dividing said diagonal slots orsteam-jet openingsinto short 5 sections, so that the steam in passingtherethrough is prevented from traveling longitudinally therein insteadof directly therethrongh. The rear and inner chamber-walls are alsopreferably made in sections bolted 9 together, and these rear end wallsare preferably secured in the shell by being fitted into annular groovesin the inside of the shell-sections, so that when in place and theshellsec tions are secured together they are firmly se- IVithin theshell and concentrio with the inner walls of the chamberstherein thereis mounted a rotatable cylinder,

on the periphery of which there is an annuends thereof under the inletends of the chambers closed and the ends thereof under the.

rear ends of the chambers open, and the chambers and the rows of vanesare so arranged with relation to each other that the open ends of therows of vanes are directly opposite the open ends of the chambers, sothat the steam will be discharged from the open end of each row of vanesdirectly" into the open or inlet end of the chamber next succeedingthereto in substantially a direct line. In the construction of thisengine 1 preferably extend the inlet end of the shell forward far enoughto form the .outer wall of aeylindrical steamchest, and on the inlet endof the inner wall of the first chamber I also make an annular grid,theopenings or ports in which open directly into the inlet end ofthefirst chamber. I also provide an annular grid-valve which operatesagainst the grid on the chamber and when rotated operates to open andclose the ports in the stationary grid,and thereby control the admissionof steam from the steamchest to the first chamber. I also extend the endof the rotatable cylinder into said steamehest and provide on the outerend thereof a disk, the periphery of which rotates in close proximity tothe inner wall of the steamchest, and annular grooves are provided,preferably both in the inner wall of the steamchest and in the peripheryof the disk, which operate to automatically form a steam-packing for thejoint between them, so that said .disk substantially forms the outer endwall of the steam-chest and also operates to counterbalance the endthrust of the cylinder caused by the action of the steam thereon. Theseand other features of my invention are hereinaftcr fully set forth andexplained, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, ofan elastic fluid turbine engine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is atransverse half-section of the same substantially on the line a: w inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same substantially on theline ;1 51 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of one of the rearend and inner walls of the chambers in the shell.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, A A. are the sections of theshell of the engine, which is to be provided with a suitable base andwith eylinder-shaft bearings. (Not shown.) At the inlet end of theengine the shell is preferably extended so as to form a cylindricalsteam-chest B, provided with an outer head B and a steam-inlet l). Therear end of the shell is provided with a head C, having anexhaust-chamber C therein and an exhaust-outlet c. The shell of theengine increases in diameter from the inlet to the exhaust end thereofand is provided with a series of annular chambers I) I) DiIYitlrzrein,consecutively increasing in capacity, the end and inner walls E E ofwhich chambers are made, preferably, in sections bolted or otherwisesecured together, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and are secured in theshell, preferably by fitting the end walls E thereof into annulargrooves a. in the shell-sections A A, so that when they are in place andthe shell-sections A A secured together they are firmly held in placetherein and form the end and inner walls of the chambers D D I) D withtheir rear ends (Z closed by the end walls E and their front or inletends ('Z open and with the peripheral wall of the front or inlet end (iof each chamber substantially coincident with the inner face of theinner walls E at the closed end (Z of the precedingchamber. The innerwalls E of said chambers flare ontwardly, so that they graduallyincrease in diameter from the inlet ends (Z to their closed ends (Z andpreferably increase in length from the inlet to the exhaust end of theengine, the mean diameter of the chambers I), D, D and I) beingsuccessively increased from the inlet to the exhaust end of the shell,whereby the capacities of said chambers are likewise consecutivelyincreased to provide for the normal expansion of the steam passingtherethrough.

In the inner walls E of the chambers D, D, D, and l), I make diagonalslots or steam-jet openings 0, (clearly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and4,) and in these diagonal slots or steamopenings I place transversepartition-walls 0, thereby dividing said diagonal slots or steam-jetopenings into comparatively short sections as clearly illustrated inFigs. 1 and 4, whereby the steam in its passage therethrough isprevented from traveling laterally therein and is forced to travel indirect lines therethrough.

On a shaft F, I mount a rotatable cylinder F concentrically with theinner walls E of the chambers I), 1), D and I)", and on the periphery ofthe cylinder F there are rows of vanesff f f, coinciding with andadjacent to the inner walls E of said chambers. The end of each of saidrows of vanes under the inlet ends (1 of said chambers are closed, andthe opposite end. of each of said rows of vanes under the closed end (Zof each chamber is open and coincides with the open or inlet end (Z ofthe next succeeding chamber, the depth of the vanes f f, &c., graduallyincreasing from their closed to their open ends, so that their depth attheir open ends is substantially the same as the open or inlet end (2 ofthe chamber into which the steam from the open ends of the vanes isdischarged. The vanes in the rows f, f, f, and f' thereof on thecylinder F are preferably placed spirally thereon, as illustrated inFig. 1. I can, however, use straight vanes in lieu of spiral ones ITOwith good results. On the end of the inner wall E at the inlet end (Z ofthe chamber D 1 make an annular grid-valve seat G with ports g therein,which coincide with the inlet of the chamber D. The periphery of saidgrid G engages in a groove a in the shell A A, so that said grid G formsan annular grid-valve seat G, and within the valve-chest B, I place anannular grid valve H, having ports h therein adapted to operate on saidvalveseat G. On said valve H, I secure a slotted arm H, which extends upinto a pocket A in the valve-chest shell, as illustrated in Fig. 3, andengages a valve-rod I, which extends out through a stufling-box a in oneside of the pocket A where it is connected with an operating-lever 1,whereby the valve H can be rotated upon the valve-seat G and the ports 0therein opened and closed, as may be desired. The valve H is preferablymade in sections secured together by means of bolts passing through carsA thereon, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The cylinder F is preferablyprovided with an extension F, which extends into the steamchest B, andon the outer end thereof there is secured a disk J, the periphery ofwhich rotates in close proximity to the inner wall of the steam-chest B,and in the periphery of this disk I make annular grooves J, and in theinside of the steam-chest B, I also preferably make annular grooves 7/,coinciding with the grooves J in the disk J, which grooves operate toautomatically form a steampacking for the joint between theinner Wall ofthe steam-chest and the periphery of the disk J, so that the disk Jsubstantially forms the outer head of the steam-chest and also operatesto counterbalance the end thrust of the cylinder F, caused by the actionof the steam thereon. Between the head B and the disk J there is achamber 15*, into which any steam escaping around the periphery ofthedisk J passes and from which it is conveyed to the exhaust-chamber Cof the engine by means of a pipe K.

In operation the steam first enters the chamber D, from whence it isdischarged through the diagonal slots or steam-jet openings in the innerwall Eof said chamber against the first row of vanes f on the cylinderF, and thence passes out from the open ends of said vanes directly intothe inlet end of the chamber I), from whence it is again dischargedthrough the diagonal slots or steam-jet openings in the inner wall Ethereof against the second row f of the vanes on the cylinder F, andthence to the chamber F from whence it is again discharged, as before,this operation of the steam being consecutively repeated until 'it haspassed through all of the chambers and acted upon all of the rows ofvanes on the cylinder and finally reaches the exhaust-chamber C andpasses out of the exhaust c.

It will be observed that an important feature of this invention is theconstruction of the chambers and cylinder-vanes and their arrangementwith relation to each other, so that the open or inlet ends of thechambers are practically opposite and substantially coincide with theopen ends of the eylinder-vanes, together with the gradually-increasingdepth of the cylinder-vanes toward their discharge ends, whereby thereis a free and direct passage for the grad ually-ex panding steamtherefrom directly into the chambers coinciding therewith. Again, thefeature of the partition-walls (2 in the diagonal slots or steam-jetopenings 2 in the inner chamber-walls E of the chambers operates toprevent the steam in its passage therethrough from travelinglongitudinally in the slots or steam-jet openings toward the vanes ofthe cylinder instead of directly against the e 'lindervanes atsubstantially right angles thereto. Iln my application for patent for anelastic-fluid turbineengine, Serial No. 192,806, filed February 9, 1904,l have shown and described a method of attaining this result, but do notshow or describe the features thereof herein shown and described.

I have thus shown and described a convenient construction of anelastic-fluid turbineengine embodying the features of my invention whichwill enable others skilled in the art to which this invention appertainsto con struct and utilize the same. I do not, however, desire to limitmyself to the particular number of chambers and rows of vanes hereinshown and described or to any particular construetion of the parts ofthe engine, as these features may readily be considerably modifiedwithout departing from the spirit of my in- "ention.

Therefore what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent ofthe United States, is-

1. The combination in an elastic-fluid turbine-engine of the characterdescribed, of a shell having a series of annular chambers therein, openat their front or inlet ends and closed at their rear ends, the innerwalls whereof are provided with diagonal slots or steam-jet openingstherein, a cylinder concentric with the inner walls of said chambers.and rows of vanes on the periphery of said cylinder coinciding with andadjacentto the inner wall of each of said chambers, and closed at thefront ends thereof and open at the rear ends thereof, the open end ofeach of said rows of vanes coinciding substantially with the open orinlet end of the chamber succeeding thereto, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in an elastic-fluid turbine-engine of the characterdescribed, of a shell having a series of annular chambers therein ofgrad ually-increasing capacity, open at their front or inlet ends andclosed at their rear ends, the inner walls of which chambers flareoutwardly from the inlet ends to the closed ends of the chambers and areprovided with &

diagonal slots or steam-jet openings therein, a cylinder concentric withthe inner walls of said chambers, and a row of vanes on the periphery ofsaid cylinder coinciding with and adjacent to the inner wall of each ofsaid chambers closed at its front end and gradually increasing in depthtoward the open end thereof, the open end of each of said row of vanescoinciding substantially with the open or inlet ends of the chambersucceeding thereto, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in an elastic-fluid turbine-engine of the characterdescribed, of a shell having a series of annular chambers therein, wallsforming the rear ends of said chambers secured in said shell, annularwalls joined to said rear end wall and forming the inner walls of saidchambers and having diagonal slots or steamjet openings therein, andtransverse partitions in said diagonal slots or steam-jet openings,substantially as set forth.

4L. The combination in an elastic-fluid turbine-engine of the characterdescribed, of a shell having a series of annular chambers therein, ofsectional walls secured in said shell and forming the rear end walls andtapering inwardly therefron'i so as to form the inner annular walls ofsaid chambers, said inner annular chamber-mtlls having diagonal slots orsteam-jet openings therein, and transverse partition-walls in saiddiagonal slots or steam-jet openings, substantially as set forth.

The combination in an elastic-fluid. turbine-engine of the characterdescribed, of a shell having a series of annular chambers therein, ofsectional walls removably secured in the shell and forming the rear endand inner annular walls of said chambers, said inner annularchamber-walls having diagonal slots or steam-jet openings therein,transverse partition-walls in said diagonal slots or steamjet openings,a rotatable cylinder concentric with the inner walls of said chambers,and a row of spiral vanes on the periphery of said cylinder coincidingwith and adjacent to the inner wall'of each of said chambers and closedat the front end thereof and open at the rear end thereof, the open endthereof coinciding substantially with the open or inlet end of thechamber succeeding thereto, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination in an elastic-fluid turbine-engine of the characterdescribed, of a shell having therein a series .of annular chambers openat their front ends of consecutivelyincreasing capacity, of wallsremovably secured in said shell formingthe rear end walls and innerannular walls of said chambers, said inner annular walls taperinginwardly from the closed ends of said chambers to the open or inlet endsthereof and having diagonal slots or steam jet openings therein,transverse walls in said diagonal slots or steam-jet openings, arotatable cylinder concentric with the inner walls of said chambers, anda row of spiral vanes on said cylinder coinciding with and adjacent tothe inner Walls of each of said chambers, closed at the front endthereof and open at the rear end thereof, and gradually increasing indepth from the closed to the open end thereof, and with its open endcoinciding substantially with the open or inlet end of the chamber nextsucceeding thereto, substantially as set forth.

7 The combination in an elastic-fluid turbine-engine of the characterdescribed, of a shell having a series of annular chambers therein havingdiagonal slots or steam-jet openings in the inner walls thereof, arotatable cylinder concentric with the inner walls of said chambers, arow of vanes on the periphery of said cylinder opposite and adjacent tothe inner wall of each of said series of chambers, an annularsteam-chest communicating with the inlet of the first chamber of saidseries, an annular grid-valve seat at the inlet of said chamber anannular grid-valve operating on said grid-valve seat, and means forrotating said grid-valve to open and close the ports in said valve-seat,substantially as set forth.

8. The combination in an elastic-fluid turbine-engine of the characterdescribed, of a shell having a series of annular chambers therein, theinner walls of Which have diagonal slots or steam-jet openings therein,a rotatable cylinder concentric with the inner walls of said chambers, arow of vanes on the periphery of said cylinder coinciding with andadjacent to the inner wall of each of said chambers, a cylindricalsteam-chest at the inlet end of the first of said series of chambers, adisk secured to and rotating with said cylinder the periphery whereof isgrooved and operated in close proximity to the inner wall of saidsteam-chest so as to substantially form one of the end walls thereof,substantially as set forth..

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. STURGEON.

Witnesses:

H. M. SrURenoN, F. J. BASSETT.

